Cacophony
by avalonroses
Summary: After decades of conflict over territory, two opposing werewolf packs agree that a bond between their heirs is the best way to ensure harmony amongst them. However, the heirs in question, Alfred F. Jones and Arthur Kirkland, aren't at all pleased with the idea. Werewolf/Omegaverse!USUK.
1. Part One

_Cacophony_

Part One

"I hear you are to be bonded_," _Francis mused, stirring a cloud of cream that had mushroomed in his coffee. "Congratulations."

Arthur made a precise knife incision into his blueberry muffin and glared viciously at the Frenchman sat across from him. "Not willingly, I assure you."

"The grapevine is buzzing. Every wolf in the US knows." Francis sucked on his spoon before taking a sip of his coffee. "There's a great deal of envy, you're bonding with a very eligible Alpha bachelor."

There was a faint quirk at the corner of the Frenchman's lips, revealing his amusement. Arthur exhaled remedially to keep himself in check. It took all of his self-possession to not reach over, grab a handful of Francis' precious hair and drag him across the floor by it.

"I don't care how eligible an Alpha he is, he's Alfred _sodding _Jones!" Arthur ducked his head when his loud protestations caught the attention of one too many customers in the café. "I cannot believe my father has agreed to such a ridiculous suggestion. And now the entire pack believes that this _absurd _idea will actually resolve everything which leaves with me no bloody choice! Either I bond with that thick-skulled buffoon or I'll be a disappointment to the pack and they'll inevitably shun me!" He was yelling again, frenziedly.

"Mon cher, calm down." The Beta took Arthur's hands and pacifyingly squeezed his fingers. "I understand your resistance to the idea but perhaps– wait, listen to me!– perhaps, this isn't such a bad thing. There will finally be civility between your packs, after decades of fighting, and Boston will no longer be a warfront. You will be able to move freely between each other's territories. That was one of the terms, was it not?"

Arthur wasn't placated and he was already raring to trample down Francis' comments.

"No one is asking you to fall in love with Alfred Jones," Francis remarked, reacquainting himself with his coffee. "You can still live as you do now, you'll just have a mark on your neck."

"And what if I do fall in love?" Arthur seethed.

"It's not like you to be so honest…" The Frenchman lifted a brow at Arthur. "I fully expect you will fall in love with Alfred. I'm sure the consummation will help, I bet you can't wait to have that _magnifique_ body between your legs, hm?" Francis let out a dirty laugh and winked at Arthur. "I'm sure even humans can smell the attraction between you two, especially when you fight and insist you hate each other–"

"No! _What in God's name, he is the last person on earth I would want between my–!" _

There was a hint of a growl in Arthur's exclamation as his rage teemed over the brim. His composure was rapidly escaping him and the result of allowing his temper to get the better of him was usually detrimental.

Clearing his throat, Arthur continued calculatedly, "I meant what if I fall in love with someone else. Not with him, you stupid tosser. And I am not now, nor will I ever be, attracted to Alfred F. Jones. We have hated each other since were children and the ill-conceived idea of bonding isn't going to alter that. We're sworn enemies for heaven's sake, I was taught that by own family, the very same family that now wishes for me to warm his bed."

Reaching into his wallet, the Omega left his share of the bill beside his mutilated breakfast.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I am done speaking to you."

Snatching up his coat, Arthur left behind the clockwork people inside the café and stomped his way through the streets of New York. No one on earth felt as angry as he did in that moment. Or as humiliated. Or as shamefully close to bursting into tears.

-/-

"Al, come on." Matthew beat his fist against the bedroom door once more. "You'll have to speak to us eventually."

"I don't speak to traitors!" Alfred proclaimed indignantly from behind the door.

"We're not traitors. Stop acting like a child and come out of your room."

Matthew nearly toppled into his twin brother when he swung the door open, almost separating it from its hinges. Alfred had always been one to underestimate his strength and it had caused a lot of damage costs and headaches in the past.

"How am I being a child?! I'm being forced to bond with someone I hate to unite us with a pack I hate. I hate the Kirkland pack and I hate Arthur Kirkland the most. This is so unfair, Mattie!"

"I made pancakes," Matthew offered calmly.

Alfred threw his arms up in the air, waving them about like a drowning man. "Pancakes don't solve everything!"

"Maybe not, but they taste good and I know you've not eaten in almost two hours which is a long time for you."

On cue, Alfred's stomach gurgled obscenely and the tall Alpha slumped after his brother and into the kitchen. His heightened sense of smell had detected the delectable, fluffy pancakes a while ago and he was foaming at the mouth by the time he saw them, sitting forlornly on the kitchen counter.

He took a large helping with a few dozen drizzles of syrup and started, well, _wolfing _it down. It was in his nature after all.

Alfred's Beta brother wrinkled his nose him.

"Arthur Kirkland isn't that bad and you know it," Matthew said, waiting until Alfred was mollified enough from lining his stomach with sugar.

"Yes, he is," Alfred sulked. "Don't ruin the pancakes for me. They're the only thing happy in my life now."

"You used to have a crush on Arthur."

"When I was like five, that doesn't really count as a crush."

"Actually you were twelve."

The Alpha huffed and turned his back on Matthew to stack more pancakes on his plate.

"Well, I don't have a crush on him anymore and it's not fair that I have to bond with him." Alfred chewed disinterestedly. Discussing his imminent bonding ceremony was really snuffing his appetite. "I wanted to bond with someone I actually cared about, you know, like normal people in the twenty-first century do."

Sighing, Matthew took a seat next to Alfred. His eyes met Alfred's with a genteelness that only he could summon. "We're not normal people though, Al," his brother said heavily.

As proud as he was in regards to his heritage, this wasn't the first time Alfred had wished he had been born human and not a creature that masqueraded as a human.

"I know Arthur can be difficult but all you have to do is say 'yes', consummate the bond and then be civil towards each other. That's it. You might not even have to live together. It has more symbolic value than anything but both of the packs need it to interlink each other. Think how great it'll be once we can go anywhere we want in their territory grovelling for permission. You don't have to miss baseball games, you can get a job anywhere you want, I can finally go to the public library…"

"You're such a nerd, Mattie." Alfred laughed. He laughed at the ridiculousness of his circumstances and the ridiculousness of his brother. The laugh, however, scampered away when a particular word rang a little louder than the rest.

"Wait a minute. Did you say _consummate?"_


	2. Part Two

_Part Two_

Arthur was mentally inching himself towards the door and, by the looks of it, Alfred was of a similar mind-set. In all honesty, he was mystified. His parents were chatting merrily with Alfred's parents, as if Arthur's father had never sunk his teeth into Alfred's father's leg ligaments or had had the corner of his ear gnawed off in return.

From underneath his lashes, Arthur observed his _betrothed_, as it were_. _He was uneasy, fidgeting and _flecking,_ for God's sake, and, since the moment Arthur had entered his apartment, the Alpha had refused to look at him. As an Omega, Arthur's nose wasn't nearly as keen as an Alpha's but that didn't mean he hadn't got a whiff of intense resentment coming from Alfred.

It was a wonder that they despised each other quite as much as they did. In theory, Allistor, Arthur's eldest brother, should have been Alfred's nemesis as it would be them contending against each other for territory once they succeeded their parents. Yet, other than butting heads in Alpha hormone fuelled arguments, the two of them were oddly indifferent around one another.

For as long as Arthur could remember, it had always been him and Alfred who had hissed at each other like scraggly alley cats. Arthur had never been allowed to fight Alfred; of course, he was an Omega and therefore would be dwarfed by an Alpha's strength, especially Alfred Jones, heir to the Jones pack. Arthur's family had eventually tired of wrestling Arthur away from near fight outbreaks and Arthur was sent back to England to live with extended family and 'find his Omega identity'.

Arthur retained the belief that he could easily surpass Alfred in a fight. Yes, the idiot had muscles, a lot of muscles really, but Arthur was swift and well-versed with the areas that would bring an Alpha to their knees.

The tail-end of his mother's question brought Arthur of his daydream of kneeing Alfred between the legs with a start.

"…that's only another twenty minutes to get to work, isn't it, Arthur?" his mother asked.

"Sorry, what?"

"When you move into Alfred's apartment, it will only take an extra twenty minutes for you to get to work. That's not too bad, is it, darling?"

"It certainly isn't too bad," Arthur said sourly. "Because I'm not bloody moving into _his _apartment."

Alfred's head jerked and his vibrant blue eyes burned into Arthur.

"Arthur," his mother cautioned. "As Alfred's future mate, you _will _be moving into his apartment." Her face had the _look. _The look that meant Arthur should accept whatever she said; sit there meek and mild like an obedient Omega.

"I will do no such thing." He met Alfred's glare with one of his own, his eyes particularly malicious.

"Arthur, don't be insolent," said his father, no-nonsense and gravelly with Alpha authority.

"No, I will be insolent! I have every right to be insolent! Not only are you demanding I uproot my life and bond with this idiot," Arthur gestured aggressively at the blond Alpha. "You now expect me to move out of my home and live with him. I won't do it."

"I'm fine with that," Alfred spoke up, feigning nonchalance. "He's the last person I want in my apartment."

"Alfred!" the Alpha's mother cried.

"What? I don't want live with him; it's hard enough being in the same room as him."

"Feel threatened, Jones?" Arthur goaded.

Alfred rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Right. I feel threatened by a little Omega with a superiority complex. You got me."

Arthur pursed his lips as the frustration frothed inside him. _Being a smart arse, are we? _

"In comparison to you, my superiority isn't a complex, it's a certainty. I'm not the one that's too afraid to fight."

The American was too easy to manipulate. All it took was a couple of well-executed jabs to his delicate Alpha pride and Arthur had him right where he wanted.

"I won't fight you because you wouldn't stand a chance," Alfred ground out.

"Who has the superiority complex now? Or perhaps, you're overcompensating for something."

Smirking, Arthur watched as Alfred's face reddened with fury. Alfred's father, by the looks of it, had a scolding poised at his lips but white-hot words erupted from Alfred before he could say anything.

"That's it! There's no way I'm bonding with this guy–!"

To everyone's surprise, Alfred stilled after his outburst, his entire body relaxing. Then, ever so slowly, his mouth curved slyly and a bubble of apprehension floated into Arthur's stomach. That was not the reaction he, or anyone else, had anticipated.

"You know what, Arthur," the Alpha said, pushing out his chair and standing up. Arthur refused to be intimidated and held his casual stance in his seat. "I'll prove to you that I'm not overcompensating." Alfred's hands went to his belt buckle. Arthur's eyes went wide. "What's wrong? _Shy? _You shouldn't be because it's all you'll want when you're in heat. And I'm pretty strong-willed, I'm not above holding back so you'll have to _beg _for my–"

Arthur was on his feet in seconds, his chair clattering behind him, and he wrenched Alfred by the collar. Alfred snarled and closed his hand over Arthur's forearm, yanking the Omega harshly. The two of them were at the threshold of changing form, canines lengthened, when Alfred's father overruled the situation.

"That's enough! Stop it, both of you!"

Alfred's father was a genial sort of man and it silenced both Alfred and Arthur to see him fuming.

"We know this is huge sacrifice for both of you but we can't go on as we do now. Our primary concern is, and always has been, the survival of our kind. I can't count the number of times we've almost been exposed because of fights amongst our packs. We need unity if we want to coexist with humans." Alfred's father inhaled slowly and Arthur was suddenly under his scrutiny. "Arthur, if you really don't want to move into Alfred's apartment, then perhaps it would be an idea to live there temporarily during your heats."

Both Alfred and Arthur broke their suspended hold of each other and returned to their seats. In light of his future father-in-law's words, Arthur felt, well, juvenile. He and Alfred had effectively been scolded.

"Fine," Arthur acquiesced begrudgingly.

"Good," Alfred's father said. "Alfred?"

"What he said."

-/-

The bonding ceremony had lost a great deal of its formality over the centuries, akin to the modern-day weddings that had mostly brushed away the religious tethers. Most werewolves nowadays would completely forgo any sort of ceremony and simply get to the technicalities.

However, a bonding between Alfred and Arthur wouldn't pass without fanfare. Of course, it would have to be a truly traditional ceremony.

People had amassed in the clearing, werewolves from all over the country eager to witness the alliance of two powerful packs with an infamous relationship. From where Arthur was standing, concealed behind cluttered trees, the sight of the crowd made his stomach turn sideways.

"There's no way on this earth I'm consenting to being _naked _in front of all those people!"

"'Fraid you don't have a choice. You'll only be naked for a few seconds, Alfred will cover you up," Allistor said.

"No one really wants to see your skinny arse anyway," Dylan snorted, whacking Arthur on the back with all the overplayed macho-Alpha force he had. He and Seamus tended to pull stunts like that a lot, re-establishing their Alpha statues despite being under Allistor's shadow.

"Be glad dad was lenient on _how _traditional the ceremony would be. Otherwise you two would be bumping uglies in front of everyone." Allistor grinned crookedly and Arthur glowered.

"Ugh," Seamus said. There was a slight green pallor to him. "Now that's something I don't want to see. Our ancestors were pretty dodgy, weren't they?"

"Arthur," his father called. "Are you ready?"

The Omega's glower deepened and he looked out across the clearing to see Alfred's father situating himself in front of the crowd, ready to commence the ceremony. Bitterness smouldered in Arthur. He couldn't quite believe this was really happening. To think he'd be bonded to Alfred F. Jones in the next five minutes and all of these werewolves had travelled miles to watch as entertainment.

"No."

His father grasped his shoulders and levelled his eyes at him meaningfully. "There are worse Alphas to be bonded to Arthur. You know I wouldn't let you go through with this if I didn't know Alfred was a decent man."

Arthur huffed but gave subtle nod of his head. His father smiled and joined the audience with the rest of his family, his brothers waving encouragingly at him. Arthur used what little time he had left to gather himself before shrugging out his clothes, leaving him bare amongst the towering foliage.

At his age, changing form was a fluid, natural process. All it took was concentration. Before puberty hit, changing form was tricky and children often became stuck in either form. Obviously, becoming stuck in wolf form wasn't very conducive to everyday life amongst humans.

Alfred quite liked his wolf form. He was slender, wicked-fast, and covered in pale, sandy fur.

He waited for Alfred to emerge. Arthur could only make an appearance once the Alpha had.

Mere seconds later, Alfred surfaced from the trees opposite Arthur and made his way towards his father. The American's wolf form was powerful, robust, and his colouring, much like a timber wolf, was fusion of auburn and cream and dark russet. Arthur tensely walked to the centre to join Alfred, trying to blot out the audience from his vision.

As per the ceremony, Arthur reluctantly lowered his head towards Alfred, a gesture of acknowledgement and acceptance of _his _Alpha.

Alfred inclined his head in reply, signalling to Arthur that he consented to his responsibilities to protect and care for his Omega.

Only then could they charge forms and Arthur's entire body burned, from his toes to his hairline, with the embarrassment of having to be _sodding _naked in front of all these people, strangers and relatives alike. Alfred, seemingly unfazed by his nudity (and, dear god, Arthur was not glancing anywhere below that absurd flick of hair on Alfred's head), reached for the robe by Arthur's feet.

"_Hurry up," _Arthur hissed.

"I'm _trying_," Alfred snapped back, managing to get Arthur's arms into the robe. His hands grabbed the lapels and, as he went to close the robe over Arthur, his eyes went southward for a flicker of a moment. Then those expressive eyes flew to Arthur's, a film of guilt over them.

Alfred had _looked _at him, deliberately looked at him, _while he was stark-naked_. For some reason this made Arthur's skin feel tight, like it was a size too small. He was sure the blush he must have had over his entire body matched the redness of Alfred's cheeks.

Alfred fumblingly fastened Arthur's robe and then his own.

Alfred's father had planned a speech and the entire thing, though well-worded, was nonsense. _Promises and optimisms of ensuring peace through the bonding of heirs for future generations. _What utter tripe.

On Mister Jones' concluding statement, Arthur swallowed a bundle of dread that had drifted up into his throat.

Time for the actual bonding.

Alfred stepped towards him and Arthur could smell him, as warm and indulgent as honey-soaked plums, and his large hand came to cradle Arthur's cheek. He, surprisingly, gently urged Arthur to bear his throat. Arthur resisted and the urging became forceful. Not enough that he would hurt Arthur, though.

"Arthur, don't do this," Alfred implored. "Please."

And so Arthur complied and bore his throat to Alfred.

His toes curled into the downy leaves underfoot and he closed his eyes, anticipating the pain he'd heard accompanied the bonding.

Alfred's hand enclosed around Arthur's waist and the Omega could have sworn he heard a whispered _'relax' _and then there was pressure followed by the overwhelming sting of his skin being broken by multiple teeth.

There was no reversal; he would wear Alfred's mark for life. They were bonded mates.

* * *

><p>I really hope this is okay (ω＼) Thank you so much for the response; I really wasn't expecting it, so thankyouthankyou! All of you are sweet little flying mint bunnies.

Just as a side note, I imagine Arthur as a sandy wolf, perhaps with a paler coat, and Alfred as a timber wolf. I'll post pictures on my writing blog for reference (link on my profile).


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